13 ms·
Here's my personal story, some may find interesting- I was finishing my masters in the UK and split up with my ex girlfriend, this meant I had to get a job quic
by drcross 13y ago
Here's my personal story, some may find interesting- I was finishing my masters in the UK and split up with my ex girlfriend, this meant I had to get a job quickly to sustain myself because I had nowhere to live and no money. I visited some different groups of friends who were kind enough to let me stay for a few days on their couch but I couldn't risk outstaying my welcome.
At the same time the Occupy protests were happening in St Pauls. I secured a short term contract in an investment bank, and stayed in a tent with the protestors while saving for a deposit to rent a room. I had to put on my suit and dash away from the camp in the morning before I was spotted, I'd then change before coming back in the evening. I washed in the local swimming pools.
Looking back on it, it was nuts that I was able to finish my thesis. So yeah, rents are high, you need to know someone to make it in London.
- theorique 13y agodash away from the camp in the morning before I was spotted Just to clarify: you mean they wouldn't have liked it if they had known that you were a banker?
- rachbelaid 13y agoJust to explain, it was protest and demonstration against economic inequality that took place in London, precisly St Paul. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_London http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_London
- theorique 13y agoMakes sense. If it's anything similar to Occupy Wall Street, wearing a suit would be taken to mean that a person is some sort of terrible exploiter of the proletariat.
- smcl 13y agoYes. My colleagues in London were advised to dress down during the protests to avoid drawing attention to themselves, I think this was fairly common at the time.
- collyw 13y agoTo be fair, if you had been found out, I think you would have deserved what you get for being such a glaring hypocrite. I am sure some people were giving up work to protest against a system. You were supporting that system, while using the protests as a place to stay.
- yetanotherphd 13y ago>would have deserved what you get What do you imagine this would have been? What would a "fair" reaction of the protestors have been? The poster wasn't 'using' the protests, they were using a public park. It is hypocrisy of this movement to take over a public space and claim it for their own exclusive use, while not acknowledging that the fact that the police let them get away with this is a sign of their own privilege.
- smcl 13y agoI think you have your wires crossed, I am just someone confirming the whole "you should dress down" advice - neither my london-based colleagues nor me (I don't even live in the UK) were living with the protesters during the occupy movement.
- nailer 13y agoI remember visiting a similar protest, in my work clothes, to show support years ago. Being well dressed is taken as a sign you have some kind of malicious intention.
- yetanotherphd 13y agogood for you! I always found it unfair that left wing protestors are allowed to do illegal things, like camp in parks. They complain about privilege, while they themselves are afforded privileges that ordinary people (like you) don't have.
- 1457389 13y agoThis is misguided. The Occupy protests were often focused on providing privileges like housing, shelter, and amenities to those who didn't have access to it.
- grey-area 13y agoWell, in this case they helped someone out directly with all of the above :)
- 1457389 13y agoThis is the irony that made me comment!
- theknown99 13y agoThey were also focussed on trashing a church. What lovely protestors they were. They achieved nothing, apart from being a nuisance.
- nailer 13y agoThey wanted the public space in front of the Goldman's building (the basis of which the development of the square was approved). Regardless of whether you support them or not (I don't) they certainly weren't "focused on trashing a church".
- nailer 13y agoTo be honest, I don't think they were focused on anything at all: people inside the movement will tell you that. "We're the 99%" fantastic, we knew that already. "We want equality" what specifically do you think you're entitled to?